[Charlie's Chickens]

After a sad 6 months were we lost 4 of our 6 chooks, we have just introduced 4 new girlies  Dotty a Speckledy Maran, Lottie a Devon Roock, Henrietta our Rhode Rock and Florence a white leghorn.

I have to say after reading some horror stories on here, it has been remarkably calm, a few digs here and there but on the whole fairly smooth.

Dotty our new Speckeled Maran, however just seems to want to roost in a tree at night!  All the others have got the hang of trotting in to the house, but she just paces the fence eyeing up the branches above  :blink:

So far for the past 3 nights, I have had to pick her up and insert her in the house.  I know her instinct is to roost high in a tree, but how do I convince her the house is a far safer option!

[daisy1990]

If you put a torch in the coop she may follow the light, otherwise persevere and she will get the message eventually.  I am having a similar problem with my young hens as we have swapped coops and they are not impressed with their new 5 star digs!

[Charlie's Chickens]

Thank you I will try that. I am just glad she is friendly enough for me be able to pick up without too much fuss! 

[Charlie's Chickens]

  Yay at last Dotty has gone to bed without intervention by me! They are having to run the gauntlet to get in though as our old 2 are guarding the doorway 

[grinling]

2 of mine aren't too keen on the 5 new ones and guard the food and water. I gently tell them off and they move. The new ones had to be pushed through the pop hole the first night, but now on night 3 have gone in. They sleep on the floor rather than roost.

[Charlie's Chickens]

3 of my new 4 are sleeping on the floor as well.  I took the decision that step one was to get them all going in the house, which now they are, step 2 is to keep picking them up and popping them onto the perches once settled.  Fingers crossed before much longer no bedtime intervention will be needed